On Our Radar: Dancers In the Office

Very few people own up to explicit prejudice these days, but two psychology professors have found that favoritism — a form of implicit prejudice in which people offer opportunities and assistance to friends, family and others in their networks — is thriving. According to this post at NPR.org, that can reinforce traditional forms of discrimination. — Lauren Weber

Cooper Union said it will charge tuition starting fall 2014, breaking with the New York City school’s century-old tradition of offering free education to students, according to WSJ’s Metropolis blog. – Leslie Kwoh

On the upside, there are still scholarships to be had Blackstone Group LP founder Stephen Schwarzman is donating $100 million to help send 200 mainly U.S. students to study in China every year. The donation was inspired by the Rhodes scholarship program, reports The Wall Street Journal. – Francesca Donner

Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer finally breaks her silence about the firm’s work-from-home ban, Fortune reports. ”People are more productive when they’re alone,” she said in a speech at a human resources conference, and then stressed “but they’re more collaborative and innovative when they’re together. Some of the best ideas come from pulling two different ideas together.” The shift in policy affects roughly 200 of Yahoo 's 12,000 employees, Fortune says. – Rachel Emma Silverman

And finally…

Hewlett-Packard Co. is putting on its dancing shoes, notes CNN Money. It’s bringing dancers into the office, often unannounced, to break into a performance right alongside employee cubicles. The idea is to open the mind, sparking creativity. Update: HP issued a statement denying that “HP had hired a Boise-based dance troupe to provide creative services in an effort to help turn the company around.” (See: “Dancers Are Note Pirouetting Through Our Cubicles!”) CNNMoney has since corrected its article.– Francesca Donner

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Written and edited by The Wall Street Journal’s Management & Careers group, At Work covers life on the job, from getting ahead to managing staff to finding passion and purpose in the office. Tips, questions? email us.